LED light install... BUT look mom, no holes!

[lostcreekranch]

I am thinking of adding 3 x 48 watt LED flood light to ROPS on our Kubota B2710, 2 forward and one on rear. With the FEL, the factory headlights are mostly blocked by the bucket.

Question to those of you who have added forward pointing lights on your ROPS? Is the light coming from behind your head a problem if wearing safety glasses?

Thanks

Rick

 

[woodlandfarms]

I just posted some pictures of my comparisons between my 24 watt led and my new 48 watt. You will not be disappointed. As for it being behind, mine is not but I assume it's not much of an issue until you turn your head.

 

[dragoneggs]

I like the clean install and intrigued by the fastener's , But do have a question for those changing over to LED's for forward facing lighting on their tractors if used for snow removal . Do the lights stay clean from snow ?? Led's use less power per light , although possibly produce more lumens , they do not produce enough heat to melt snow off the light . This has been a on going discussion for years in the trucking industry with many of the newer trailers all having LED's on the back end . Brighter = Yes , But you have to stop sometimes every hour to clean off your tail lights since the snow is packed over them .


Great Install though . Nice Job ..


Fred H.

Thanks for the compliment Fred. As far as snow blocking the light... I haven't had any personal experience yet with this but the lights (at least the 27W ones I have) don't get hot so I could see this being potentially an issue. I will perform the 'hand' test and let you know. I have mine angled slightly down so the snow may not stick. But since I don't have snow around yet, someone is going to have to help answer this one.

 

[dragoneggs]

I am thinking of adding 3 x 48 watt LED flood light to ROPS on our Kubota B2710, 2 forward and one on rear. With the FEL, the factory headlights are mostly blocked by the bucket.

Question to those of you who have added forward pointing lights on your ROPS? Is the light coming from behind your head a problem if wearing safety glasses?

Thanks

Rick

I almost always have a baseball cap on when I am working and that surely helps. Another simple test though so I will try to glare myself with glasses on and no hat tonight!

 

[ray66v]

My certification classes for bonding body panels on cars were very specific about bonding to coatings. They said, never glue anything but clean, bare metal. If you glue things with a coating of any kind, the bond is at best, only as good as the coating, and never as good as metal to metal.

I would suggest grinding a small patch behind the attachment point to bare metal, before bonding anything to the ROPS.

We have stuff in the body shop you could glue the ROPS to the tractor with. :thumbsup:

 

[dragoneggs]

My certification classes for bonding body panels on cars were very specific about bonding to coatings. They said, never glue anything but clean, bare metal. If you glue things with a coating of any kind, the bond is at best, only as good as the coating, and never as good as metal to metal.

I would suggest grinding a small patch behind the attachment point to bare metal, before bonding anything to the ROPS.

We have stuff in the body shop you could glue the ROPS to the tractor with. :thumbsup:

Yep no question you can't get any better than bonding to bare metal assuming you are using the proper adhesive. Not only bare metal but bond as soon as possible before the metal oxidizes. The point is to create a high energy surface with free electrons waiting to grab on to something creating an ionic bond. If the 'excited' surface is left alone, it will react with the surrounding air and oxidize. All this said, there are primers and paints that if applied properly, also have relatively strong bonds. Depending on strength needed, some may wish not to disturb the paint drastically. One benefit of this is you do not sever the corrosion protection the paint is providing to the substrate. But like I have mentioned before... you are at the mercy of the paint.

This only 'scratches' the surface of adhesive bonding. A prudent installer would also know what types of adhesives should be used with various materials, environmental exposures, thermal stresses, vibration, shock, chemical exposure, radiation, bla, bla, bla. But this is a tractor ROPS mount not a Mars mission.

 

[ray66v]

One benefit of this is you do not sever the corrosion protection the paint is providing to the substrate. But like I have mentioned before... you are at the mercy of the paint.

Severing the corrosion protection the paint is providing should be inconsequential.

The proper adhesive, applied correctly, is designed to prevent moisture from ever reaching the metal. Since moisture causes corrosion, the adhesive provides corrosion proofing equal to, and likely better than, what paint can offer.

Yes, it's not a Mars mission, and if the vibration causes coating on the ROPS to fail, and the lights to fall off, you can always glue them back on.

 

[FredH]

Snow sticking may actually not be a problem as yours are clear / white light instead of red tail lights , like on semi trailers . Never thought of that before , so may be a non-issue ?? Still really Cool work and super Great information on how you accomplished it .

Fred H.

 

[dragoneggs]

I am thinking of adding 3 x 48 watt LED flood light to ROPS on our Kubota B2710, 2 forward and one on rear. With the FEL, the factory headlights are mostly blocked by the bucket.

Question to those of you who have added forward pointing lights on your ROPS? Is the light coming from behind your head a problem if wearing safety glasses?

Thanks

Rick

Okay I ran a little test wearing safety googles. Here is what I found trying two different safety glass styles. Keep in mind I am running two 27w mounted to the lower side of the top member (see avatar). They are angled slightly down. Using the old style kinda flat large plastic glasses, I did indeed get some glare. I remedied that by putting a brimmed hat... my baseball cap was not effective. Interestingly, or maybe not... was that the more modern curved safety glasses that conform more to one's head did not produce glare and a brimmed hat was not needed! :thumbsup:

 

[lostcreekranch]

Okay I ran a little test wearing safety googles. Here is what I found trying two different safety glass styles. Keep in mind I am running two 27w mounted to the lower side of the top member (see avatar). They are angled slightly down. Using the old style kinda flat large plastic glasses, I did indeed get some glare. I remedied that by putting a brimmed hat... my baseball cap was not effective. Interestingly, or maybe not... was that the more modern curved safety glasses that conform more to one's head did not produce glare and a brimmed hat was not needed! :thumbsup:

Mark;

Thanks for checking this out. My alternative mounting location, for the front pointing lights, is to the front of the angle frame that supports the roof. Easier to mount lights as not making holes in ROPS but, longer wiring runs. Would still use the CB devices for controlling routing wires back to switches. Thanks for sharing this real solution to not drilling more holes in ROPS.

Don't work at night much on our small tractor but, occasionally make an after dark run for wood for fire pit at the ranch house. As previously noted, the FEL bucket blocks stock headlights unless bucket dropped to about 3-4 inches above ground.

Thanks

Rick